The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-03
HIS Sin FOUND Hill OUT.
CHARLES SCHCHARrr DLBAUCH.
ES TIE WIFE
o. Brother Mason, and Realizing
the Eternity Of His Crime Blows
II 3 Braias Out,

MILBANK, OAK, April "A de-
plorable tragedy, accompanied by a
tale of domestic infidelity in high
life, has been the cause of the great
est sensation in Milbank the past
twenty-four hours. Charles Schchartt,
an old settler aud one of the most
highly respected citizens, lies dead
by his own hand. Mrs. John G.
Knapp, the wife of another old set
tier and equally respected citizen,
the Register of Deeds and president
of the Board of Education, is in
volved in the case. The trouble,
from all accounts, dates back five or
six years. The injured husband has
had reason at various times to sus-
pect his wife Of infdelity, but never
had positive proof until within
the past two or three days. Mr..
Knapp placed the matter in the
hands of Edgar NJ. Bennett, of the
firm of Bennett 4 Eldridge, Big Stone
City, who engaged Detective Bob
Major, Of OrtoIvllle, to work up the
case. The female domestic in Mr..
Knapp's house was taken into conf
dence and admitted the de-
tective to the house on Fri
day evening and again on
Wednesday evening. On Friday
evening the detective heard Schu-
chartt enter the house, being admit
ted by Mrs. Knapp. Before he got
to the bedroom from the basement
the gnilty pair had emerged from the
room, and he did not detect them at
the act. On Wednesday evening,
however, he caught them in flagrante
delicto, and threw the light of dark
lantern upon them. SchuchaItt at
tempted to escape, but Maj n held
him at the point of a revolver and
then summoned the domestic and
sent her out to brig in several
neighbors to witness the scene. 1t
was a clear case, and the guilty
parties Immediately arranged to leave
the city. Mrs. Knapp begged her
paramour to not desert her, aud he
declared that as soon as q divorce
was obtained he would marry her.
Schuchartt then walked out to his
house, mile from town, for the pur-
pose, as he declared, of hitching up
his horse and buggy and driving to
Ortonville, to which place money
was to be sent him from the bank
here. This was evidently his inten-
ton when he left town; but he appa-
rently changed his mind upon realiz-
ing the enormity of the disgrace and
also that as Mason, he had in
vaded the sanctity of a fellow Ma
sons home. He then deliberately
placed the muzzle of a loaded shot
gun to his mouth, and with his toe
discharged the weapon and died in
stantly. The husband, in pursuance
of the plan to entrap the parties, had
gone TO Big Stone City in the morn
ing. Coroner Daniels summoned II.
Lewis, G. W. Bartlett and ]. Il.
Simmons as a jury, who rendered
verdict that "the deceased came to
his death by his own hands" Mrs.
Knapp, who has been a prominent
member of the W. G. 7. U. and of
the Methodist Church, left tonight
for Appleton, MINI, where she will
remain until she makes further ar
rangements to meet her folks from
Mr.. Knapp has begun
proceedings for divorce, Schuchartt's
relatives live in Wisconsin. lie had
lived alone since coming to Dakota,
having been divorced some years ago.
His only child, 4 son, is a student in
an Eastern college.